The Cleveland Browns are expected to leave star running back Nick Chubb on the PUP list to start the 2024 season as he continues his recovery from a major knee injury suffered last year, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This means Chubb will miss the first four games of the upcoming campaign.
Chubb got injured in Week 2 of last season against the Pittsburgh Steelers after a hit from Minkah Fitzpatrick, tearing his ACL and also suffering damage to his MCL, meniscus and left medial capsule. The Browns running back needed multiple surgeries to repair everything.
While there have been positive signs about Chubb’s recovery, including a viral video of him squatting a crazy amount of weight in the offseason, he started training camp on the PUP list and isn’t ready to come off just yet as the season approaches. It’s a disappointing development given how hard the running back has attacked this rehab, but it’s not all that surprising given just how devastating the injury was.
Cleveland restructured Chubb’s contract in the offseason, and he’s entering a contract year with free agency ahead in 2025. The 28-year-old went to four straight Pro Bowls with the Browns before the 2023 knee injury, including a career-high 1,525 rushing yards in 2022. This latest news adds more questions about his future in Cleveland.
Browns’ running back situation with Nick Chubb still injured
With Nick Chubb still sidelined, Jerome Ford is next in line on the Browns’ depth chart. Ford rushed for 813 yards and four touchdowns while also catching 44 passes for 319 yards and five touchdowns last season. The 24-year-old will look to build on that campaign as he’s now slated to begin 2024 as the starter.
Cleveland also has Pierre Strong Jr, D’Onta Foreman, Aidan Robbins and Nyheim Hines on the depth chart as of right now. Strong recently suffered a practice injury and needed to be hospitalized for a rib contusion. Hines is also coming off his own brutal knee injury. It’s unclear just how many running backs the Browns will carry to start the season as they deal with all these injuries.
2024 Browns outlook
Cleveland is coming off an 11-6 campaign and a playoff berth, though the Wild Card Round wasn’t kind to them. The Browns lost 45-14 to the Houston Texans in that playoff game, which happened with Joe Flacco under center. Flacco won Comeback Player of the Year in 2023 as he filled in admirably for the injured Deshaun Watson. Myles Garrett (DPOY), Kevin Stefanski (COY) and Jim Schwartz (ACOY) all won awards as well.
With Watson set to return, albeit with some question marks exiting preseason, Cleveland is hoping to take the next step. Not having Chubb ready is a tough setback, but if Watson is actually healthy and rolling, that should help them overcome the absence of the star running back. The defense is expected to be stout again with Garrett leading the way, so the Browns have high expectations in 2024, regardless of Chubb’s status.
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